Lubricating apparatus.



M. J. MALONEY.

LUBBIOATING APPARATUS.

APPLIoA'rIoH FILED H0125. 1901.

UNITED OFFICE.

MATTHEW JOHN MAIJONEY, OF MISSOULA, MONTANA.

LUBRICATING APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed November 25, 1907. Serial No. 403,708.

This invention relates to lubricating appay ratus.

Lubricating apparatus involving my invention can be put to advantageoususe in many different connections, although it is of especial utilitywhen employed in connection with a locomotive whether the same bcoperated by steam or other fluid motive agent.

By virtue of my lubricating apparatus I can automatically change thefeed of the oil or other lubricant from the live steam main direct tothe slide valve mechanism or steam chests and vice versa.

In the drawings accompanying and formin a part of this specification Ishow in detail certain simple forms of embodiment of the inventionwhich, to enable those skilled in the art to practice the same, will befully set forth in the following description, while the novelty of theinvention will be included in the claims succeeding said description.

In the embodiment of the invention represented in the drawings theapparatus has a plurality of lubricant supply ducts and Huid pressurecontrolled means for governin the assage of the lubricant throu h saiducts.

referably there is what mig t be considered a primary duct and asecondar duct and with the same is cooperative flui operated means fornormally preventing the assage of the lubricant through the secon aryduct. When the action of the fluid, whether it be steam, com ressed air,or gas, is withdrawn from sai means, the latter becomes operable topermit the lubricant to flow through the secondary duct. I wish to makel it clear that I use the designations primary and secondary simply forconvenience and not with the view of defining one as being subordinateor auxiliary to the other. By normally I refer to the running conditionof the locomotive. Under normal conditions, therefore, when thelocomotive is being propelled by its own steam or other fluid, suchfluid is active for maintaining the means in question in such a relationas to permit the passage of the lubricant through Athe primary duct andfrom the latter indirectly to the slide valve. When this steam or otherHuid is cut off, the said means automatically acts to permit thelubricant to flow directly, by way of the secondary duct, t-o theinterior of the steamy chest for lubricating the valve therein.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation ot aportion of a locomotive involving a lubricating appara` tus constructedin accordance with my inven-v tion. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one ofthe lubricant reversing devices shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating theparts therein in the positions they assume when the locomotive is beingrun by its own steam. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the parts being in thepositions they occupy when the locomotive is drifting or at rest. Fig. 4is a view corresponding to Figs. 2 and 3 of a modified form of thereversing device, the parts being in positions corresponding with thoseshown in Fig. 2.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several figures ofthe drawings.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the numeral 2 designates the boiler ofa locomotive, 3 and 4 the steam cylinders thereof, 5 the steam saddle, 6and 7 the steam chests, 8 the dome, 9 the dry or steam pipe leading fromsaid dome, and 10 the throttle valve for controlling the flow of steamthrough said dry or steam pipe 9. These parts are of familiarconstruction and form in themselves no part of the invention. The drysteam pipe or main 9 has branches 11 and 11 for conveying steam into thesaddle 5, such steam passing from the saddle into the steam chests 6 and7 and from the latter into the cylinders 3 and 4 for propelling thepistons not shown) therein, said steam chests 6 an 7 bein equipped inpractice with some suitable orm of slide valve. I have shown as mountedover the steam chests G and 7 respectively casings as 12 and 18, thecasings and the parts they inclose constituting lubricant feed-reversingdevices and the may receive their supply of oil or other lu ricant fromany suitable source, for example, from the well known lubricator mountedin the cab of the locomotive and which is not shown. I have,however,shown the feed pipes leading from said lubricator, they being denoted by14 and 14", respectively, the pipe 14 supplying the casing 12 and thepipe 14a supplying the casing 13. These pipes 14 and 14a are sometimesknown as tallow pipes.

The casings 12 and 13 have pipes as 15, 16, 17, and 18, respectively,-leading therefrom, the pipes 15 and 17 serving to convey lubricant tothe branches 11 and 11 of the main or dry pipe 9 whereby such lubricantcan be subsequently applied to the valves in the two chests 6 and 7,while the pipes 16 and 18 conduct the lubricant directly from thecasings 12 and 13 into said steam chests for application to the valvestherein. The pipes 15 and 16 are in effect branches of the pipe 14,while the pipes 17 and 18 are'the same with respect to the pipe 14, thecasings 12 and 13 being located at the junctions of the respective twosets of pipes. When the locomotive is being operated under its ownsteam, the lubricant will be conveyed to the steam chests 6 and 7 b wayof the pipes 15 and 17, while, when the engine is drifting or coastingor at rest, such lubricant will enter the steam chests directly by wayof the pipes 16 and 18 as will hereinafter more particularly appear. Inboth cases the supply of oil to the valves in the steam chests 6 and 7is secured by gravity feed. The two casings 12 and 13 are alike inconstruction, and the same statement applies to the parts inclosedtherein, so that a detailed description of one of said casngs, forexample, that designated by 12, and the parts inclosed thereby, willapply to the other, and said casing 12 and its said inclosed parts areshown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. The casing 12 is represented as madeup of an outer cylindrical portion and an inner cylindrical portiondisposed eccentrically with respect to each other and placedhorizontally, the inner cylindrical portion being represented as of lessdiameter than the outer cylindrical ortion. In the outer head of thecasing 12 1s a port 19 and this port or opening coincides with the boreor passage through the pipe 16 tapped or otherwise fitted into saidouter head. The opposite end of the pipe 16 may be similarly connectedwith the top of the steam chest 6. In the bottom portion of the casing12 is a port as 20 into which the pipe 15 is similarly fitted, while thelower end of the pipe 14 is likewise mounted in a port as 21 in the topof the casing 12. Within the casing 12 and at the bottom thereof I haveshown a channel or groove as 22, the outer open end of which is inregister with the port 19. This channel or groove 22 extends inwardly ashort distance alon the bottom portion of the casing 12 an with the pipe16, constitutes a secondary duct such as that to which reference hasbeen hereinbefore made. The pipe 15 and the branch 11 of the dry pipe ormain 9 constitutes a primary duct. It is, of course, conceivable thatthese two ducts might take a very different form. In the larger por-vtion of the casing 12 I have shown reciprocative a piston as 23, saidpiston in the present case having a movement beyond the inner closed endof the channel or groove 22, as shown in Fig. 2, to a point near theouter head of said casing 12. Preferably said piston does not directlyengage said outer head, said piston being provided. with a buiing devicesuch as the spring 241, to prevent such result. Said piston or diaphragm23 constitutes really a valve for, when in its inner position as shownin Fig. 2, it prevents the passage of oil from the casing 12 into thepipe 16, although, when in its outer osition as shown in Fig. 3, itpermits oil to iiow from the casing 12 into the pipe 16 by way of thechannel or groove 22 and port 19.

The piston, diaphragm, or valve 23 is represented as fastened to theouter end of the stem or rod 25, said rod also carrying the pistons 26and 27, the piston 27 being provided with a buiiing spring 28 to engagethe inner head of the casing 12 when the three pistons 23, 26, and 27are at the extreme inner ends of their strokes, as shown in Fig. 2. Thepiston 26 constitutes a valve for controlling the flow of lubricant intothe pipe 15 and is located between the pistons 23 and 27, the pistons 26and 27 being separated suiifieiently to be located at opposite sides ofthe port 20 when the three pistons occupy the position shown in Fig. 3,at which time the piston 26 prevents the flow of oil into the pipe 15,while the piston 27 shuts said pipe 15 ol' from the atmosphere by way ofthe vent opening 28a.

During what I have described as normal conditions, the parts will be inthe positions they are represented as occupying in Fig. 2, there beingsteam in the two chests 6 and 7 This steam escapes from the two chestsinto the pipes 16 and 18 and acts against the pistons 23 so as to holdthe same in their inner positions whereby the piston or valve 26 will bemaintained 1n such position as to permit the passage of oil from thecasings 12 into the two pipes 15 and 17 to be conducted indirectly tothe two steam chests. When, however, the steam is cut of, there isnothing to prevent outward motion of the three pistons, and this outwardmovement is accomplished by the pressure of the lubricant owing from thepipes 14 and 15 against the pistons 23 the effective areas of which arerespectively greater than those of the pistons 26. When, therefore, thesupply of steam is cut 0H, the two sets of pistons 23, 26, and 27 aremoved outwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shownin Fig. 3, the pistons 23 crossing the channels 22 during this time, andthe pistons 26 crossing the ports 20, whereby oil can pass into thepipes 16 and 18 to directly lubricate the valves in the balancing saidpistons Q6 and 2T, While` steam from the pipes 1li and 1S respectively lcan act against the outer l'aces oic the pistons 23 to cause the inwardmovement of the two sets or" pistons. The inner heads of the casings 12and 13 are shown as having vent openings designated in cach case by 28aand which permit free reciproeative action of the two sets of Jistons.The casinfrs l2 and 1 13 are shown as horizontally disposed. rl`heymight be vertically disposed as shown by the casing 12 in Fig. il. Thecasing 12 is represented as consisting of tivo superimposed concentriccylindrical portions and is equipped with pipes il, 15, and 16equivalents of the pipes correspondingly numbered and hereinbetoredescribed. The casing 12 contains pistons 23, 26, and 2T carried by acommon stem 2li also as hereinbefore described,

What l claim is:

1. A lubricator having a primary duct, a secondary duct, and fluidoperated means for normally preventing the passage of the lubricantthrough the secondary duct, said fluid operated means, when the actionof the fluid is withdrawn therefrom, being operable to permit thelubricant to flow through the secondary duct.

2. A lubricating apparatus having a casing provided with outlets for thelubricant,

valve means in the casing for controllii'ig said and automaticallymovable into two dillereut outlets, and means for directing a pressurefluid into said casing to hold the valve means in position to permit thepassage of the lubricant from one of said outlets and to prevent suchlubricant passing through the other outlet, the latter outlet being freeto permit the lubricant to liow directly therethrough when the force ofthe ipressure fluid is Withdrawn from the casing.

3. r[he combination of a steam chest, a casing, a pipe tor conveyinglubricant from the casing to the steam chest, a steam pipe, a pipeconnecting the casing and the steam pipe, a lubricant feed pipeconnected to the casing, and valve means in the easing operated by steampressure ior controlling the passage of the lubricant through the saidconveying pipe between the casing and steam chest and the feed pipe.

4. A lubricator having a primary duct, a secondary duct, controllingmeans movable into two dilterent positions, in one of which it isadapted to permit the passage of the lubricant through the primary ductand prevent the passage of said lubricant through the secondary duet,and in the other of which it is adapted to permit thc passage of thelubricant through the secondary duct and p 1event its passage throughthe primary duct, means for directing a pressure Huid against` saidcontrolling means to positively uio-e it into one oie its two positions,and a supply pipe connected to the lubricator, the 'ufitlnlrawal oi' thepressure liuid means from the said controlling iii-ans causing thelatter to automatically act to permit the lubricant to directly llowfrom the supply pipe to the secondary d uct.

5. A lubricator having a casing, a primary duct leading from id casing,means for deliering a pressure tluid into said primary duct, the casinghai ing a secondary d uct ase-:ociatcd therewith, means `for passingpressure lluid tlufougli the secondary duct, and valve mean movable iuthe casing and operable by the action of such pressure fluid to permit'the passage ol' lubricant through the primary duel and movableautomatically to a nosition to culy ol'l' the passage of the lubricantthrough the primary duct and permit its entrance into the secondary ductwhen the action of auch pressure [luid is removed.

(i. A lubricating apparatus having a plurality ot' lul,;,iicai1t supplyducts, controlling means for governin the passage of lubricant throughsaid ducts in alternation and movable into one ot' two positionsautomatically, and means for causing the action of a pressure {iuidagainst the said controlling means to operate it in opposition to itsautomatic action.

T. ik lubricating apparatus having a plurality of lubricant supply ductsand a supply' pipe, controlling means for governing the passage of thelubricant through said ducts positions, the controlling means when inone position permitting a portion of the supply ducts andthe suoil n )eto be in direct com- L le n.

i munication, and means vtor cutting off the passage ot' the lubricantfrom the supply pipe to the remaining duct when the said pipe and theother duct are in communication.

S. lubricating apparatus having a casing, pipes leading Yfrom saidcasing to conduct the lubricant therefrom, means for introducing apressure fluid into said casing, and a plurality of connected pistons insaid casing, constituting valves and operable by the pressure fluid tostop the liow of lubricant through one ot said pipes and to permit itsentrance into the other of said pipes when acted on by said pressuretluid, said pistons, when the action of the pressure liuid is reinfivedthe 1rem, being automatically movable to a position lo change the courseof lubricant through said pipes.

9. lu a lubricating a i iaratus, a casing, l u n 4 pipes lor tue conductor lubricant from said Sl (l CIK casing, three pistons in the casing,two of which constitute valves, a. stem common to the several pistons,means for directing a pressure fluid against the pistons to cause themto move into a position to permit the passage of lubricant through oneof said pipes and to prevent the passage of such lubricant through theother of said pipes, the pistons being automatically movable into aposition lo reverse the How of the lubricant when the pressure actingthereagainst is withdrawn, said casing having a vent opening to permitthe operation of the pistons under the action of said pressure fluid.

1U. In a lubricating apparatus, a casing, a pipe for lubricant leadingfrom said casing` a second pipe also leading from the casing, threepistons in the casing, and a stem connnon to and connecting the pistons,the outer pistons having springs to act against the opposite ends of thecasing, and the casing having an interior channel adapted to be crossedby one of the pistons when the latter is at one end of its stroke.

ll. An apparatus of the class described having a lubricant feed pipe,branch pipes receiving lubricant from said feed pipe, and controllingmeans operative by fluid ressure for governing the passage of lubricantin alternation from the feed pipe to the branch pipes, the saidcoiitrolling means when iu one position permitting direct communicationbetween the feed pipe and one of the branch pipes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

MATTHEV JOHN MALONEY.

litnesscs RvAL F. ADAMS,

Trios. A. MoNsoN.

